This invention relates to an electric toaster and in particular to the structure of the toasting cavity.
It has heretofore been known to manufacture relatively large toaster/ovens which enable a user to toast a plurality of comestibles such as bread in a horizontal plane. Such toaster ovens are relatively large and are not conveniently suspended from the bottom surface of a kitchen cabinet. It is desirable to suspend appliances such as toasters, coffeemakers, can openers and the like from the lower surface of a kitchen cabinet to save countertop space.
When a toaster is suspended from the bottom surface of a kitchen cabinet, the comestibles inserted into the toaster should be maintained in a horizontal plane in the toasting cavity. One of the problems associated with having a toaster which effectively has horizontal toaster slots, rather than vertical toaster slots as is typical in countertop toasters, is obtaining uniform toast color on the top and bottom of the comestible. Since hot air rises, the bottom surface of the comestible generally is heated at a faster rate than is the top surface.
It has been found that one way to achieve generally uniform toast color between the top and bottom surfaces is to employ heater cards or the like above and below the comestible support tray. The use of such heater cards generally increases the cost of the toaster, reduces the cleanability of the toaster and requires a relatively large toaster cavity.
It is desirable from an aesthetic standpoint to have a relatively low profile or low height toaster when the same is suspended from the bottom of a kitchen cabinet. To achieve the foregoing and overcome the problems associated with the use of heater cards, it is desirable to have a single heater mounted above and a single heater mounted below the support rack. The heater may be made from quartz or glass. The single heater is generally vertically aligned with the center of the support rack. However, it has been found that the use of a single heater in a relatively low profile horizontal toaster exacerbates the problem associated with obtaining uniform toast color on both the upper and lower surfaces of the comestible.
The single heater must be mounted generally in close proximity to the upper and lower surfaces of the support rack to toast the comestible within a reasonable period of time and at relatively low wattage. The portions of the comestible directly above or below the heaters toast much quicker than the portions of the comestible not in alignment with the heaters. Further, it has been found that during normal operation, the central portion of the heater becomes much hotter than the ends. Accordingly, the color of the toasted surfaces of the comestible is not uniform either when comparing the top surface to the bottom surface or even more undesirably between the inner and outer portions of a single surface. If the outer portion of a surface is toasted to a desired color the inner portion tends to be over-toasted; while if the inner portion is toasted to a desirable color then the outer portion is generally too light.
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to manufacture a low profile toaster having a toaster cavity designed to achieve uniform toast color on and between the upper and lower surfaces of the comestible.